Reverb continues to get worse.

[gr81dorn]

I've been on Reverb since the day it started as a liquidation-deal website, before it was even the peer-to-peer platform it became. I met David Kalt (founder) at CME one day and praised him for what he was doing at the time because it was such a game-changer to have a music gear only selling platform. It was awesome for a long time. When Etsy bought it, it was inevitable that it would change and likely for the worse. It has and by a lot.

In the last 2 months, I have had SIX buyers back out on deals - confirmed accepted offers. Despite the flags, alerts, confirmation checkboxes, etc. where users agree to complete the purchase if offers are accepted. They don't follow through and there is no recourse. They claim that they take it really seriously and abusers of the systems are given a talking to. Big whoop. That's not going to stop anyone or close up the gaping holes in the sign-up process that allow for random morons to do this stuff.

I've asked repeatedly for a more serious sign-up process where accounts require more personal and banking information, but they insist that it would deter looky-loos who will eventually become proper members/users. I think that's hogwash and it opens the door for this nonsense.

The other part that is absurd to me is this policy:

"If the buyer doesn't pay for this order within 5 days from the offer being accepted, we will automatically cancel the order so you can relist your item for sale."

It should say, "we'll pull your add off the system for 5 days, then it will reappear and buyers will be suspicious as to why, but assume the product was returned cuz it is tainted or something."

You don't need more than 24 hours to pay in almost any circumstance. 5 days is absolutely ridiculous.

I know the classifieds here are a decent platform for specific stuff, but Reverb is a much broader platform, has all the categories that don't matter to this group of people, so it's the right place to sell so much stuff, but it's just gotten so bad so quickly.

I am hoping Sweetwater's platform takes off or someone else shows up and does it right. I enjoy buying and selling and trying a lot of stuff, but it may just be time to get a new hobby cuz the infrastructure is imploding.

[rollypolly]

gosh, I guess I'm glad I've never tried to sell on Reverb. I use eBay and have had about a 90% success rate selling. The one bad deal was actually my fault for not knowing everything about the guitar I listed. The fees don't seem that bad either. I'd rather sell in person to avoid the fees and hassle but hey it works.

There are a lot of bad buyers out there but Reverb is pretty big now and it's a business. They will do anything to grow which includes pissing off some sellers. The only way sellers will have any power is if you could coordinate some sort of boycott. But you're all in the dark and have no way to communicate. Genius on Reverb and eBay's part but sucks for the little guy.

[gr81dorn]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

gosh, I guess I'm glad I've never tried to sell on Reverb. I use eBay and have had about a 90% success rate selling. The one bad deal was actually my fault for not knowing everything about the guitar I listed. The fees don't seem that bad either. I'd rather sell in person to avoid the fees and hassle but hey it works.

There are a lot of bad buyers out there but Reverb is pretty big now and it's a business. They will do anything to grow which includes pissing off some sellers. The only way sellers will have any power is if you could coordinate some sort of boycott. But you're all in the dark and have no way to communicate. Genius on Reverb and eBay's part but sucks for the little guy.

I guess I'm sorta frustrated more than most might be because I've been using it for a long time and am probably in the top 5% of private sellers - I have probably 500+ sales and would think they'd wanna hear from someone like me, but they shifted hard into being the online store for so many retail companies, that they almost don't care at all about private sellers cuz we have relatively pitiful volume compared to the retail stores. I have never sold on eBay but I may try.

I, too, prefer local sales, especially on guitars, but I buy and sell a ton of parts, effects and stuff and Reverb is great for that....at least it used to be.

[fazool]

Originally Posted by gr81dorn

....

I am hoping Sweetwater's platform takes off or someone else shows up and does it right. I enjoy buying and selling and trying a lot of stuff, but it may just be time to get a new hobby cuz the infrastructure is imploding.

Maybe this will simply create a void and need and someone starts up a new site like Reverb used to be.

I do not like Sweetwaters at all. In order to sell there they basically strong arm you into getting store credit only and not cash for your sales.

[gr81dorn]

Originally Posted by fazool

Maybe this will simply create a void and need and someone starts up a new site like Reverb used to be.

I do not like Sweetwaters at all. In order to sell there they basically strong arm you into getting store credit only and not cash for your sales.

Do they, though? It is certainly a big incentive if you're looking to buy more new gear, but you can choose to get paid out in cash and it's pretty much the same fees as Reverb from what I'm seeing.

[rmp]

Originally Posted by fazool

I do not like Sweetwaters at all. In order to sell there they basically strong arm you into getting store credit only and not cash for your sales.

I like to do business with Sweetwater, but THIS?

Yea that's a hard no for me too.

Giving you a place to sell something, and then only to have to buy something else from them to get to the end point of the transaction is ridiculous.

[leew3]

I've used Sweetwater's Gear Exchange with some success. My most recent experience has not been positive. A buyer couldn't figure out how to use the Voiceprint DI he bought from me in spite of helpful feedback from me, Sweetwater and L.R. Baggs.

I accepted a return but was told by the abrupt and condescending rep on the Gear Exchange support line that I would have to pay for the 'transaction fee' (7%) anyway. She did not respond well to my summary that in spite of having done nothing wrong, I'm going to charged a fee because a buyer didn't wish to learn to use the gear. The pedal came back in good shape, and I used it at a gig last Saturday and will again next week.

In short, the Gear Exchange has worked for the most part, but I'm done with it for now.

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by gr81dorn

In the last 2 months, I have had SIX buyers back out on deals - confirmed accepted offers.

Man, that really sucks. I've got two guitars up on reverb at the moment. If I get a reasonable offer, I'm going to contact the offerer first, tell him I'm thinking about accepting, and ask if he's really serious about following through, reminding him there's tax involved, etc. MIGHT cut down on these agreement violators....

[J Patrick]

I’ve had more negative and disappointing selling experiences here on AGF than I’ve had on Reverb…..buying experience here has been very good though…

..for me, the issue is dead beat tire kickers and overly particular guitar nerds that have somehow attained too much knowledge for their own good. That doesn’t have anything to do with where the deals are struck.

[gr81dorn]

Originally Posted by DCCougar

Man, that really sucks. I've got two guitars up on reverb at the moment. If I get a reasonable offer, I'm going to contact the offerer first, tell him I'm thinking about accepting, and ask if he's really serious about following through, reminding him there's tax involved, etc. MIGHT cut down on these agreement violators....

The last one I actually did contact prior, he responded right away and then I accepted and he disappeared like a fart in the wind.

[gr81dorn]

Originally Posted by rmp

I like to do business with Sweetwater, but THIS?

Yea that's a hard no for me too.

Giving you a place to sell something, and then only to have to buy something else from them to get to the end point of the transaction is ridiculous.

what am I missing? You don't have to choose the gift card option, you can take cash. If you choose the gift card, there are no fees at all, which is a big advantage if you're looking to bank up towards a purchase, but you can cash out like you do on Reverb or Ebay.

[CoastStrings]

Originally Posted by gr81dorn

In the last 2 months, I have had SIX buyers back out on deals - confirmed accepted offers.

I suppose I could be classed as a Reverb novice. Although I've been on it for a while, I've only bought a few small guitar parts and succeeded in buying one guitar after making an offer.

I guess that explains why I keep getting interrogation-styled questions ("Are you real?") when I reach out to a buyer.

[6L6]

Craigslist is your friend.

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by 6L6

Craigslist is your friend.

If you live in a major metro area. If you live in a rural area (like me) Craigslist = crickets.

[Rolph]

It used to be a very good platform. A few months ago I sold a $3500 MIJ Gretsch in mint condition for at least $1K under its reasonable value. The buyer loved it but returned it because my dog drooled a spot of water on the outside of the hardshell case, I didn't notice or care about it and didn't clean it. The place has serious problems, always backs the buyer no matter how absurd they act. I've sold over 75 guitars there, now I'm really thinking twice before I sell there.